Leeks are not as common as regular onions. Nevertheless, in terms of its useful properties, it is in no way inferior to its “relative”. This onion is a real storehouse of vitamins and minerals. Because of this, he is gaining more and more popularity. Growing leeks is not an easy task. This culture has special needs. It is, of course, possible to create favorable conditions. To do this, you need to know what exactly the leek needs and how to grow it correctly. It is also worth figuring out how leek is fed so that it grows well and does not get sick.
Characteristics of the leek
This culture came to us from the Mediterranean coast. The leek is a member of the lily family. In ancient times, it was actively grown in Africa, Greece and Rome. In Our Country, this onion is grown in all regions, but most often only in the suburbs.
Both the leaves of the leek and the stem are eaten. This onion contains about 12% carbohydrates and up to 2% proteins. It is also rich in vitamins and mineral salts. During storage of leeks, the amount of vitamin C in it only increases. It retains freshness and taste well in winter.
It is useful for impaired metabolism and the presence of kidney stones. This onion has the ability to increase appetite, has a beneficial effect on the process of digestion of food, and is used as a diuretic.
The stem is about 15–55 cm high and about 5 cm thick at the bulb. The following year, the onion forms a flower, and then seeds appear on it. The inflorescence of this culture is a spherical umbrella. Leek flowers have a light lilac or white color. There is a pleasant aroma. The advantage of leek is that it is able to germinate even at very low temperatures (about +5 ° C). But still, onions grow more likely in a warm climate. For normal growth, about +15 ° C is enough for him.
The most important thing for this crop is moist and fertile soil. Leek responds well to the introduction of minerals, as well as to watering. Loamy soil with a neutral level of acidity is best suited for its cultivation. Too loose, acidic or heavy soils are unsuitable for growing this onion.
Leek Care
Planting leeks for seedlings begins in April. Before planting, the roots and leaves of the onion are cut off so that it takes root better. Seedlings should be planted to a depth of about 5 cm, while deepening the leaves. It is necessary to leave at least 45 cm between the rows of onions, and about 15 cm between the onions themselves. For long-term storage and use of leeks in the fall, planting should begin in early spring. But you can plant onions throughout the summer. By autumn, young fresh plants will arrive. Onions can be eaten immediately or left for a second year. Leek tolerates wintering under snow well. True, in severe frost and without a thick snow layer, plants will not be able to survive. Leaving onions for the winter, in May it will be possible to harvest. Immediately after planting, seedlings grow very slowly. And all the care is to water and loosen the garden in a timely manner.
Basic leek care is not difficult. But at the same time, all these rules must be strictly observed. Most attention will have to be paid to the onion at the very beginning of growth. The main condition for the good growth of leeks is the absence of weeds in the garden. They should be permanently removed.
Also, for leeks, drying out of the soil is contraindicated. It should always be slightly damp. Throughout the growth of the plant, it is necessary to constantly spud the onion. This is the only way to get tender white bulbs. After this, soil mulching should be carried out immediately. If we talk about mulch, then you can use:
- chopped straw;
- dry manure;
- hay or straw.
Leek is able to grow even after it has been harvested and placed in the cellar. But for this, he needs good nutrition throughout the growing season. You can start feeding as soon as the onion reaches about 20 cm in height.
To do this, you can use the following mixture:
- half a liter of mullein;
- five liters of water.
With this solution, it is necessary to irrigate the row-spacings.
Such nutritious watering is done on not very fertile soils. If, before planting onions, the soil was fertilized, then nettle infusions should be used instead of mullein.
You already understood that leeks are very fond of moisture, so watering should be plentiful. During the intensive formation of green mass, it is necessary to increase the amount of water for irrigation. It is important to ensure that the soil never dries out, but at the same time is not wet. Harvesting should be carried out in late autumn, and it is possible in winter, if there are no severe frosts.
Leek care also includes regular weeding, feeding and disease prevention. You need to loosen the soil often, about once every 2 weeks. It is also important not to forget to spud onions regularly. Leek should be watered every 4-5 days, depending on weather conditions. The first couple of days after planting the onion, you can not water it. For each square meter of beds, you will need about 10-14 liters of water.
In order to extend the shelf life of the onion, it must be harvested a few days before the onset of frost. This is the most favorable time for transporting onions to a storage location. Further, it is slightly dried from excess moisture and the roots are cut. This should be done carefully so as not to damage the scales of the bulb. Then you should cut off the hanging parts of the leaves. It is also necessary to ensure that soil particles do not fall into the spaces between the leaves.
Feeding leeks
For the whole season it is necessary to carry out 3 or 4 dressings of leeks. The first feeding is carried out 3 weeks after planting. To do this, use the following solution:
- 5 liters of water.
- 10 grams of ammonium nitrate.
- 7-8 grams of potassium salt.
Watering with this fertilizer is carried out as usual, only along the aisles. This amount of fertilizer should be enough for 2m2. Also, onions respond well to top dressing with a solution of mullein in a ratio of 1/10 and bird droppings 1/20.
Such top dressing will protect plants from fungus.
Pests and diseases
One of the dangerous diseases of leeks is mosaic. This is a viral disease carried by aphids. The virus appears as yellow spots on the leaves of the plant. Such a bow lags behind in growth and does not have a very presentable appearance. Unfortunately, this disease is incurable. The affected bow is simply destroyed. To protect plants from mosaic damage, it is necessary to strictly follow the rules of agricultural technology when growing leeks. In this case, you can use means that will repel aphids and ticks. It is also advised to plant onion seeds that are at least 2 years old. By doing so, the likelihood of mosaic infection is reduced. The fact is that after lying down for such a time, many viruses die, including mosaic.
The next common disease of leeks is considered rust and powdery mildew. These are fungal diseases that can occur when water stagnates in the soil. When infected with powdery mildew, the plants become covered with oval-shaped spots. Such an onion is unsuitable for human consumption. Rust is recognized by the characteristic yellow fungal pads that cover the leaves. In the future, these pads turn black, after which the onion leaves lose their strength and dry out. Immediately after the first signs of rust damage appear, diseased plants should be removed immediately. Healthy onions should be treated with a solution of copper oxychloride and phytosporin. It is very difficult to prevent the onset of the disease. But you can significantly increase the stability of the onion by following the rules of care and carrying out the necessary feeding.
The leek pest is onion fly, which can completely destroy the crop by its actions. This pest appears in May and immediately begins to lay eggs on onion leaves and in the soil. A few days later, larvae appear from them. They actively eat the leek from the inside, because of which it begins to rot. To protect the leek from the onion fly, you need to sprinkle the garden bed with wood ash. Tobacco dust or a mixture of ash and dust is also perfect. You can scare away the onion fly with ground black pepper.
As an option, you can prepare a special tobacco infusion to fight the onion fly:
- 5 liters of water;
- 1 teaspoon of liquid soap;
- 200 grams of tobacco.
All components are mixed and left for a couple of hours so that the solution is infused. Then it must be filtered and you can start watering the beds. The onion fly doesn’t like celery. So some gardeners specifically plant this plant between leeks to scare it away.
In addition to these diseases, leeks are often affected by black mold, fusarium, neck rot.
Conclusion
As you can see, it takes patience and effort to grow leeks in your garden. This crop will only grow in moist soil with high fertility rates. To protect it from pests and diseases, it is necessary to regularly carry out top dressing and preventive procedures. But having done all this, you will get a very useful homemade onion that will give you the necessary vitamins all winter.
